Many maternity garments, especially undergarments, have been developed over the years to address various problems associated with providing appropriate clothing and support to women during pregnancy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,648 discloses a maternity support top with a built in bra and a two-inch bellyband that lifts weight off of the pelvis. This garment, however, focuses only on the upper torso of a pregnant woman and does not address the hip or buttock area, or the legs.
Spanx® brand maternity hosiery provides undergarment support in a full-length panty hose with a non-binding waistband with under belly support. However, the Spanx® maternity hosiery is not configured to providing support for the upper body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,286 discloses a back and abdominal support worn over the brassiere and under the panties, and with a supportive band under the tummy. However, this garment only covers the upper torso of a pregnant woman and does not address the hip or buttock area, or the legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,755 discloses a knit fabric band that is worn over pants that are either too tight or too loose, holding them in place. The band is worn as a single layer over the tummy and is designed to stretch as the tummy grows. The band, however, does not address the torso, the back, or the legs. Nor does the band perform a support function.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,551 discloses a maternity garment made of high performance fabric which provides mild support to shape a woman's body. The garment, however, requires either the garment to be worn over the shoulders of the woman, or the degrees of compression of the fabric are not properly tailored to the needs of a pregnant woman.
Thus, traditional maternity support garments such as those described above only target a specific area of the body and only solve a limited few problems. Therefore, a need exists for an all-in-one garment that simultaneously addresses several areas, including smoothing a woman's profile, improving her level of comfort, providing her needed support, and complimenting her desired aesthetics. There is also a need in the art for a maternity support garment that may be worn throughout the entirety of a pregnancy while providing the necessary comfort and support that the expecting mother needs and deserves.